The Albanian Olympic Committee was established in 1958 and Albania still does not have an Olympic medal.
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| Spyros Louis wearing an Arvanites dress sitting in a traditional armchair |
Many Albanians have won medals under the flags of Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy, Germany, and recently Kosovo. However, did you know that in 1896 when the modern Olympic Games started, it was the marathon runner Spiros or Spyros Louis, known in Greece as Spyridon Louis, an Arvanitis from Greece, who under the flag of Greece, is considered the first winner of the Olympic Games?
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| On This Day August 1, 1936: Spyros Louis Presents Hitler With Olive Tree From Olympia |
After 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 50 seconds from the start of the Marathon, he arrived in Athens, covering 42 kilometers and 125 meters. He received the medal wearing the traditional dress of Toskëria (South Albania), a variation of which was also the dress of the Arvanites of Attica, respecting thus his traditional roots.
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| Spyros Louis wearing an Arvanites dress, a Scottish kilt-like, knee-length |
In this photo published by the General Directorate of Archives of Albania, he appears in a dress.
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| Spyros Louis drinking coffee in a bar in Athens |